Emotions can take over the best of us. The Indian people are, in general, a passionate bunch. We live in a country where, for the past three decades, it has been said that cricket isn’t just a sport, but a religion. We, as Indians, take great pride in the achievements of our countrymen; we relish in the success of our brothers and sisters, and we take great joy in seeing our country ranked amongst the very best.
Sporting infrastructure, and laying a good foundation are two of the most crucial aspects to the development of athletes, especially in a niche sport. When it comes to combat or contact sports, not only is it imperative to have good foundations to nurture the athletes but having the best training facilities and coaches is extremely crucial for the success of the sport.
Or you face problems that aren’t uncommon with niche sports.
One has to understand that, in theory, it is easy to talk about creating a good environment for athletes. When it comes to starting a new sporting culture, more often than not, the athletes find themselves stuck with false promises and prejudices. Mixed Martial Arts was supposed to be the answer for hundreds of aspiring fighters in India; however, it has become their biggest problem.
Fighters, much like athletes from other sports, are a trusting bunch. While you see them masterfully applying their craft inside the cage, they are remarkably quiet outside of it. We Indians are inherently trustworthy – and loyal to a fault. This is where several organizations and managers have found their greatest source of strength, and those, who are trusted with the important job of nurturing the sport, have instead made a mockery of it.
“Chodo na sir, hamare bolne se kuch nehi hoga. Woh log humko fights nehi dilayenge.”
“Let it be, sir. Nothing will come out of us saying anything. They won’t get us any more fights.”
That was the response of an Indian fighter when asked to talk about their experiences dealing with organizations and those involved in the industry. Being a fighter in India isn’t just difficult, but can be disheartening. For the past couple of years, I’ve been receiving messages and texts from fighters, who cannot find fights anywhere. Isn’t getting a manager the solution? Unfortunately, that is where most of the fighters find themselves in hot water.
The manager conundrum – Why fighters find it easier to be their own managers
In a country like the United States, discussion about the malpractices in fight sports isn’t anything new. From the 40s to late 90s, it took several decades for the boxing fraternity to come up with the Ali Act framework. With the explosion of Mixed Martial Arts in the country, fighters became more aware of the opportunities and have the wherewithal to pursue their passion.
In India however, most of the fighters come from relatively humble backgrounds. Most of the fighters I have talked to expressed their anguish – about working menial jobs to pay for their training, and to survive on next to nothing for their daily needs. When it comes to the talk of getting a manager, however, most of them recollect traumatizing experiences, often finding themselves paying the manager out of their own pocket!
Managers usually take a percentage of the fighter’s purse when they get them the fight. However, most seem to recollect instances where they found themselves being exploited, often paying lump sum amounts when they’re not obliged to. Getting a manager should be helpful, but in the end, once they sign on the dotted line, they aren’t treated as athletes, but as cash reserves, and sometimes as means to get a free holiday trip abroad.
“Usko poocho mat, sir. Humara kaam bigad jayega.”
“Don’t ask him, sir. It will disrupt our work.”
While as a journalist, it is my duty to unearth the deceits and explore the underbelly of the sport, the deeper you dig, the murkier the situation gets. Unfortunately, the more names you expose, the harder the situation gets for the fighters. In fact, while most of the fighters get in touch with me and talk about their predicaments, there is one common theme at the end of the discussion.
“Please humara naam mat bolna.”
“Please, don’t take my name.”
Organizations need to stop exploiting the fighters
While quite a few people know about the way certain organizations exploit the fighters, there comes a point when you don’t find the logic behind becoming a fighter. In fact, one particular fighter recently told me that they haven’t been paid for fighting on a card. Worse, none of the fighters who fought on that particular card got paid – and this happened nearly a year ago!
However, the organization and the “promoter” in question received rave reviews for helping the sport grow in the country. One needs to remember that the fighters are the ones that will eventually decide the future of the sport in the country. While we talk about the fighters not living up to certain standards when they’re busy appeasing their managers or the organizations, how can anyone expect them to excel in their craft?
As an ardent fan of the sport, I can only hope that one day, the fighters can justify their decision to get into the fight game. MMA can be the saving grace for those coming from villages, working extremely hard to make something out of their existence, but that cannot happen until those within the industry realize that they work for the fighters and not the other way round.
Note: No name of the fighter (s) or organization (s) have been taken, as per the request of the fighter (s).
